RSF Arrests ‘Abu Lulu’ over Alleged Role in Sudan's El Fasher Massacre

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Thursday the arrest of several suspects accused of committing violations in the North Darfur city of El Fasher, including a man identified as Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known widely by his alias “Abu Lulu.”

In a statement released via its Telegram channel, the RSF said the suspects were detained in connection with “serious transgressions” in the war-torn city. 

The group’s political wing said it had launched “urgent measures” to hold the perpetrators accountable, reiterating its rejection of “grave violations against civilians.”

“We are committed to protecting civilians and will not tolerate any individual who engages in abuses,” the alliance said in a statement, adding that international bodies had been briefed on the ongoing investigations in the Darfur region.

The announcement comes after weeks of mounting outrage over alleged summary executions and human rights violations in El Fasher, much of it linked to a man known as Abu Lulu. Videos circulated online over the past months appear to show him executing detainees and threatening civilians, scenes that have drawn global condemnation.

Until recently, Abu Lulu was an obscure fighter said to have emerged from the armed groups of Darfur. Local reports describe him as a fierce combatant who quickly rose through the ranks to become a field commander. But his notoriety skyrocketed after graphic videos, allegedly featuring him, went viral in August, one appearing to show him shooting an unarmed man in El Fasher.

Those videos provoked an uproar across Sudanese social media and beyond, prompting the RSF to distance itself from the man. At the time, the group insisted that “Abu Lulu is not a member of the Rapid Support Forces,” and pledged to investigate the footage.

However, new recordings later surfaced showing the same man in military uniform, surrounded by RSF fighters celebrating victories in El Fasher, further fueling suspicions of his affiliation with the group.

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday expressed “deep concern” over reports of atrocities in El Fasher, where hundreds have reportedly been killed amid fierce fighting between the RSF and Sudanese army forces.

In a joint statement, the Council’s 15 members condemned the RSF assault on the city and called for an “immediate cessation of violence.”

Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Al-Harith Idris, urged the Council to classify the RSF and its affiliates as a “terrorist organization,” demanding sanctions against those providing the group with weapons, drones, and radar systems.

“The world knows who is funding and arming these militias,” Idris said, calling for an international investigation into what he described as “genocide” against civilians in El Fasher.

In an apparent attempt to contain the backlash, Faris Al-Noor, the RSF-backed governor of Khartoum under the so-called “Tasis Government,” vowed that “the hand of justice will reach anyone who committed crimes against our people in El Fasher,” sharing an image of Abu Lulu alongside the statement.

Still, the repeated appearances of the man in RSF attire and among its commanders continue to raise questions about the group’s control and accountability.

For many Sudanese, “Abu Lulu” has come to embody the horror of a conflict that has once again plunged Darfur into chaos, a haunting reminder that impunity still reigns in one of the world’s longest-running wars.